Economic growth depends on the jobs, innovation, new ideas and fresh thinking that entrepreneurs and small businesses bring to their societies. Yet Africa has lagged its peers in innovation-related measures. This makes finding, and scaling, innovation-related new businesses a priority, with accelerator programs filling a crucial gap.
Ten startups from across the continent have been selected for the 2022 Telecel Group Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) Accelerator Program, powered by leading tech accelerator Startupbootcamp (SBC) AfriTech, an African based and lead multi-corporate- backed tech accelerator that specializes in unlocking and growing Pan- African tech opportunities.
The announcement was made following a rigorous two-day selection process held in Dakar, Senegal, on 9-10 March, with 20 semi-finalists pitching to judges and stakeholders. In total, 2295 applications were received from 58 countries.
“Senegal is committed to driving innovation and entrepreneurship across our country so that we can take our place among Africa’s top ten startup ecosystems. For the past four years, we have provided specific support and assistance for startups in the form of finance, incubation, and acceleration. We are inspired by the energy and commitment that the ten finalists bring, and we look forward to their growth and future impact,” said the Honorable Papa Amadou Sarr, the presiding Senegalese Minister and General Delegate for Entrepreneurship in the Presidency.
“Entrepreneurship and innovation represent Africa’s best possible investment for future sustainability. SBC’s entrepreneurs are working to solve critical challenges, improving lives and communities. More than 88% of our 40 alumni are still operating and have raised more than $90 million in funding, showing that our program is making a difference,” said Philip Kiracofe, CEO and Chief Disruptor, Startupbootcamp AfriTech. Startupbootcamp runs accelerator programs, with SBC AfriTech as the African leg of a global family of industry-focused accelerators.
“At Telecel Group, we believe technology is a catalyst for change and solutions, and that’s why we incentivize and support innovative startups with the tools they need to reach the next level. With this program, we are investing in our future leaders. African entrepreneurs are best placed to help the world tackle pressing challenges such as climate change, inequality, food security, and healthcare, because they come from communities who are directly affected by these issues,” said Eleanor Azar, Executive Deputy at Telecel Group and Director at African Startup Initiative Program.
The current cohort was selected based on the impact of their proposed solution, scalability, vision and whether they had the necessary skills to succeed in their markets, quality of leadership, commitment, market timing, growth potential and comparative advantage. Participants will receive an intensive three-month coaching and support program to accelerate their growth and benefits worth US$750 000. The program will take place in Dakar, Senegal and startups will be hosted by DER/FJ at the D-hub, – a space commissioned by the General Delegation for the Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth (DER/FJ) and established by the President of the Republic of Senegal, His Excellency Macky Sall.
ASIP announced the first cohort of ten companies in 2021 and runs the accelerator program annually.
We are honored to include the following ten startups in the 2022 ASIP Accelerator Program.
Agrodata (Nigeria) has invented an IoT-enabled smart hive to assist fruit and vegetable farmers with pollination requirements to support year-round food availability. They were selected in the 2021 cohort but will be completing the program this year.
Crowdyvest (Nigeria) is an impact-driven fintech platform that creates financial solutions for long-term growth and financial freedom. Crowdyvest has over 140 000 user accounts, with over US$30 million raised for projects and 30 impact projects supported.
eCampus (Ghana) provides a machine learning platform for parents and educators to track the progress of learners, meet their needs, and improve learning outcomes.
Ecomak Recyclers (Uganda) is reusing plastic waste as long-lasting, eco-friendly, durable and low maintenance construction material. Their plastic bricks and poles are 30% cheaper than conventional concrete bricks and wood timber.
Neural Labs Africa (Kenya) is using AI-enabled medical imaging (NeuralSight™) for real-time diagnosis. NeuralSight can identify, label and highlight over 20 respiratory, heart and breast diseases and pathologies, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, COVID-19, emphysema, and more. This technology will reduce Africa’s disease burden and hospital workloads, with better patient outcomes and democratized access to healthcare.
Parc Smart (Senegal) helps drivers find and reserve a parking space using their smartphone before they reach their destination, reducing traffic, pollution, and stress.
Powerstove Energy (Nigeria) has developed an IoT-enabled smokeless stove that reduces fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The stove generates enough electricity to charge mobile phones and power LED lamps and appliances. The IoT system tracks and sends carbon data so that carbon credits can be generated.
Proxalys SAS (Senegal) connects fresh food producers with retailers, restaurants and service providers to build a robust e-commerce supply chain.
Qataloog (Nigeria) offers transparent, cost-effective pricing directly to institutions using cataloguing algorithms for learning content and user search preferences. It has distributed over 10000 books to 35 universities and colleges and has raised US$150 000 in funding.
Rural Farmers Hub (Nigeria) offers a crop intelligence solution for farmers to manage crop health and soil nutrients with real-time farming advice delivered by SMS, voice, apps and in-person. Their intelligence solution, Capture, is being used by over 16 000 farmers in northern Nigeria.
Vooli Mobile Insurance App (Kenya) evaluates insurance premiums to create the most cost-effective cover.
For more information about the Africa Startup Initiative Program and the selected start-ups, please visit the website here
About Africa Startup Initiative
ASIP is a program founded by Moh Damush, Telecel Group CEO as a CSR activity. ASI Program contributes in a meaningful way to the African Continent to support the young Startups whose innovative ideas are creating a difference in their communities, exposes them to international organizations, and bridges the knowledge and expertise to allow them to attract partners that can add value to their Startups. Our goal is to discover Africa’s most talented entrepreneurs operating in the fields of telecom and technology and help them create successful companies at scale. ASIP supports the startups via its Accelerator and Investment Programs. The Accelerator program provides the startups with coaching and mentoring, workshops, access to markets, and education. The Investment Program emphasizes access to investors, funding, grants, angel investments, and venture capital.
For more information on the ASIP, visit www.asiprogram.com
About Telecel Group
Telecel Group operates in four different lines of business all under the telecom industry: (1) Telecel Mobile, owns and operates several mobile operators in Africa and Europe; (2) Telecel Global Services, providing wholesale, enterprise and digital security services to telecom operators and enterprises worldwide; (3) Telecel Play, a digital platform that is digitizing mobile users; and (4) Africa Startup Initiative Program, which targets innovative startups in Africa and offers them support and guidance. For more information on the Telecel Group program, visit http://telecelgroup.com
About Startupbootcamp AfriTech
Startupbootcamp AfriTech was launched in 2017 as the first multi corporate-backed pan-African startup accelerator. We run world-class accelerator programs, working with some of the most disruptive startups on the continent. We provide access to our global network of corporate partners, investors, and mentors. For more information visit: http://bit.ly/sbcafritech
For more information on the Telecel Group program, visit http://asiprogram.com/
About Der/FJ
Der/FJ is an institution under the authority of the Presidency of the Republic of Senegal and it was launched by President Macky Sall in 2018 in order to support entrepreneurs throughout Senegal. This support is given through both financial and non-financial services, with an emphasis on sectors that include technology and innovation, hence the creation of the D-hub incubator. For more information about DER/FJ visit https://der.sn/